Eco/561pr †Economics Essay

In modern society people desire goods and services that provide a more comfortable or affluent standard of living. We want bottled water, soft drinks, and fruit juices, not just water from the creek. We want salads, burgers, and pizzas, not just berries and nuts. According to MC-Connell (2008) â€Å"Economics, which is the social science concerned with how individuals, institutions, and society make optimal choices under conditions of scarcity.† Scarce economic resources mean limited goods and services. Scarcity restricts options and demands choices. Because we â€Å"can’t have it all,† we must decide what we will have and what we must forgo. Consumers are purposeful in deciding what goods and services to buy. Business firms are purposeful in deciding what products to produce and how to produce them. Government entities are purposeful in deciding what public services to provide and how to finance them. Economist develops economic principles and models at two levels macroeconomics and microeconomics. Macroeconomics examines either the economy as a whole or its basic subdivisions, such as the government, household, and business sectors. Macroeconomics seek to obtain an overview or general outline of the structure of the economy relationship of its major aggregates. We can see it as an economic measure of total output, total employment, total income, aggregate expenditure, and the general level of prices in analyzing various economic problems. On the other hand microeconomics is the part of economics concerned with individual units such as a person, a firm, or industry. At this level economist observe the detail of an economic unit, or very small segment of the economy. Micro measures the price of a specific product, the number of employees in a small business, the revenue of a particular individual. These means individuals and society face economizing problem because their wants exceed their income and they must decide what to purchase and what to for go. Some of the tools we can use to measure this process is a graphically, budget line which is a line in a graph with the various  combinations of two products that a consumer can purchase with the specific income, giving the prices of the two products. Other tools for economist to measure and illustrate society’s economizing problem through production possibilities analysis. This use tables and curves that show the different combinations of good and services that can be produced in a fully-grown economy. Economists most often use graphs to illustrate their models. By understanding these â€Å"graphs† you can more readily comprehend economic relationships. Most of economic principles or models explain relationships between just two sets of economic facts, which can be conveniently represented with two-dimensional graphs. Since income is the determining factor, we represent it on the horizontal axis of the graph, as is customary. And because consumption depends on income, we represent it on the vertical axis of the graph, as is also customary. Actually, what we are doing is representing the independent variable on the horizontal axis and the dependent variable on the vertical axis. Also it’s very important to understand lines which can be described in terms of their slopes. The slope of a straight line is the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change between any two points of the line. We can concluded that Graphs and lines are a convenient and revealing way to represent economic relationships. Over time, technological advances and increases in the quantity and quality of resources enable the economy to produce more of all goods and services, that is, to experience economic growth. Society’s choice as to the mix of consumer goods and capital goods in current output is a major determinant of the future location of the production possibilities curve and thus of the extent of economic growth. References: Mc-Connell, B. (2008). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies, (16th ed.). : .

Pinnacle Foods Ipo

Pinnacle Foods Inc. : Initial Public Offering MACKK Consulting Group BSAD 444. 20 April 1st, 2013 Company History Pinnacle Foods Group is a food packaging company specializing in shelf stable and frozen food categories. The company was formed in 1998 as Vlasic Foods International, acquiring several food-manufacturing brands such as Swanson TV dinners and Open Pit from the Campbell Soup Company. Pinnacle’s portfolio of iconic brands dates back in existence to the 1800s. The earliest brand owned by Pinnacle Foods, Armour Star, has existed since 1867 when Philip Armour founded it as Armour and Company.Armour was the first company to produce canned meat and was once Chicago’s most important business, helping to make the city and its stockyards the center of the American meatpacking industry. Throughout the late 1800s and 1900s, iconic brands such as Duncan Hines, Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima and Hungry Man were introduced and now are a part of the Pinnacle Foods name. Pinnacle F oods acquired Aurora Foods in 2003 when the company’s health was in jeopardy due to lawsuits in 2001.Ian Wilson, a former executive with Coco-Cola, founded Aurora Foods in 1995 using the company to purchase Van de Kamp Seafood from Pillsbury along with several other brands. As a result of major lawsuits in 2001, Wilson and other Aurora executives plead guilty to securities fraud for misrepresentation of the company’s financial statements. Jim Smith replaced Wilson as CEO of Aurora Foods until 2002, at which time motions were set in place that lead to Pinnacle’s acquisition of Aurora. Pinnacle closed Aurora’s Missouri offices and moved them to Cherry Hill, New Jersey where the currently remain.In 2007 The Blackstone Group, a New York City private equity firm, bought Pinnacle Foods for $2. 16 billion (G. S. , 2007). Since then, Pinnacle Foods has acquired Birds Eye Foods, Inc. , adding a mix of frozen and specialty brands to its already iconic portfolio. In dustry Overview * Ashley Company Overview Today Fortune Magazine ranks Pinnacle in the Top 1,000 Companies with over 4,000 employees. Pinnacle’s products can be found in more than 85% of American households and are leaders in their respective categories, holding the first or second market share position in 10 of the 12 of the categories in which they compete.Pinnacle currently focuses on growing their â€Å"leadership brands† while reinvigorating their â€Å"foundation brands†. Their leadership brands are those with the most potential for growth and innovation. These include brands such as Vlasic, Duncan Hines, and Ms. Butter-Worth’s. Pinnacle prides themselves on debuting category breakthroughs with these brands. These leading brands are used prominently in marketing campaigns that celebrate their robust vitality. Pinnacle’s foundation brands are those that have a strong and recognizable reputation in most households.Families already know and love these brands such as Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast, Open Pit, and Hungry-Man. Pinnacle strives to raise the bar with these familiar foods through new flavours and health benefits. Pinnacle must be innovative with these familiar brands to ensure they remain as popular as they currently are. Financial Overview Financially, Pinnacle has experienced minimal growth over the last year. Net sales increased marginally from $2. 47 billion in 2011 to $2. 48 billion in 2012 and in North America specifically, net sales grew a meager 1% from $2. 07 to $2. 08 billion.EBIT was $284 million in 2012, after giving effect to $66 million in pre-tax charges related to restructuring and refinancing. This restructuring also impacted net earnings, as Pinnacle had to pay $51 million in after-tax charges and was left with $53 million in net earnings. Despite these charges, this net income shows a strong recovery from 2011 when the company suffered a net loss of $47 million. Total capital expenditures were $7 8 million in 2012, down from $117 million in 2011. These expenditures include footprint consolidation. A summary of these figures can be seen below in Exhibit 1.Exhibit 1: Pinnacle Financial Statements It can be seen in Exhibit 1 that Pinnacle has a substantial amount of acquisition, merger and other restructuring charges. These charges are primarily related to Pinnacle closing facilities in Washington, New York, Wisconsin, and Delaware. A complete breakdown of these expenditures has been included in exhibit 2. Exhibit 2: Acquisition, merger, and other restructuring charges One of the problems that Pinnacle currently faces is their large amount of debt. They have roughly $550 million of a term loan that is due in 2014.This resulted in Pinnacle entering the market with a $300 million incremental term loan last year, dubbed F, with proceeds to be used to help repay the $550 million. Pinnacle has an additional $400 million E term loan that was syndicated earlier in 2012. This loan matu res in October 2018 and is covered by a 101 soft call premium until April 17, 2013. Proceeds from that deal were used to issue $199 million in 10. 625% subordinated notes due in 2017. Altogether Pinnacle has about $641 million outstanding under the extended term loan due in 2016 (Bisbey, 2012).This is one of the primary reasons for Pinnacle’s IPO, as will be discussed later in the report. The balance sheet below summarizes Pinnacle’s debt obligations as well as their assets and equity. Exhibit 3: Pinnacle’s Balance Sheet for 2011 and 2012 After performing a two-finger analysis of this balance sheet it can be concluded that Pinnacle has not made any drastic changes over the past two years. Assets have decreased slightly but that was coupled with a decrease in liabilities by roughly the same amount which is reasonable.Exhibit 4 is a portion of Pinnacle’s cash flow statement that helps explain these changes in the balance sheet. Pinnacle’s cash flows from financing increased 212% between 2011 and 2012, the vast majority of this expenditure being the repayment of debt. By making a number of loan repayments, Pinnacle decreased their cash and therefore their assets, while also reducing their liabilities. Exhibit 4: Cash Flows from Financing Activities Ratio| 2012| 2011| Return on Equity| 5. 9%| -5. 54%| Return on Assets| 1. 19%| -1. 05%| Return on Sales| 11. 46%| 7. 4%| Current Ratio| 2. 11| 2. 17|Quick Ratio| 1. 04| 1. 17| Debt-to-Equity Ratio| 3. 95| 4. 26| | | | Exhibit 5: 2012 Ratio Analysis of Pinnacle Group Inc. These ratios †¦ IPO The food-industry sector is changing due to increased globalization, vertical integration, and mergers and acquisitions. This is forcing many firms to look to alternatives to debt financing in order to keep up with the competition. The public equity market is a valuable option in financing the growth necessary to survive amongst competitors, as it offers access to more equity capital than coul d be attained from other sources (Stegelin & Houston, 2007).With millions of dollars in debt obligations coming up due in the next few years, it is understandable that Pinnacle is having an Initial Public Offering to raise capital. This follows suit with research that has shown that as a food-industry firm’s leverage ratio increases, the likelihood of an IPO increases as well (Stegelin & Houston, 2007). It has also been noted that the probability of a food-industry firm IPO decreases with the firm’s size and age (Stegelin & Houston, 2007). Pinnacle is currently 15 years old which is incredibly â€Å"young† compared to industry leaders Kraft and Kellogg which are both over 100 years old.This could be a contributing factor to why they are wanting to go public. This IPO will follow 13 other offerings in 2013 backed by financial sponsors such as private-equity firms. These 13 other offerings can be used to loosely predict the success of Pinnacle’s IPO, as Pin nacle is backed by private-equity firm Blackstone. These IPOs were successful, seeing an average first-day gain of 22% and are up an average of 21% from their listing dates. These results are promising in comparison to 30 other IPOs at large, showing an average 15% first-day gain and a gain of 19% from the listing dates (Driscoll, M. 2013). Another important benchmark is the IPOs of other food sellers. There were mixed results regarding the success of food seller IPOs in 2012. The health food sector showed strength with natural food companies Annie’s Inc. , Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. , and WhiteWave Foods Co. performing well since their IPOs. Annie’s shares have more than doubled since being listed last March while the value of Natural Grocers has risen over 40% since their listing in July (Driscoll, M. , 2013). On the other hand, Roundy’s Inc. and Amira Nature Foods Ltd. have underperformed since their IPOs.Roundy’s is a Midwestern supermark et chain and Amira is a rice seller, both of which are down about 20% from their offerings in October and February respectively (Driscoll, M. , 2013). Since Pinnacle offers processed, packaged foods, benchmarking their success from the natural, organic food IPOs is not very reliable. With people becoming more and more health conscious these days, it is not surprising that these health food companies found success in their IPOs. Although Pinnacle does carry the frozen vegetable brand Birdseye, they also carry a number of brands that would not be classified as healthy.Of the aforementioned companies, the most reliable comparison for Pinnacle would likely be with Roundy’s, the supermarket chain. Supermarkets sell a wide variety of processed and pre-packaged foods, and are the medium through which Pinnacle’s brands are sold. However, there is still not a strong correlation between the two firms. On March 27th, 2013, Pinnacle announced their Initial Public Offering of 29,00 0,000 shares of common stock at $20 per share. Pinnacle also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 4,350,000 shares at the IPO price.It is estimated that Pinnacle will raise net proceeds of about $545. 2 million after subtracting underwriting costs. Pinnacle plans to use the entirety of these earnings to pay off some of their debt. They plan to redeem $465 million in aggregate principal amount of 9. 25% Senior Notes due in 2015 at a redemption price of 100%. The remainder of their IPO proceeds, along with some cash on hand, will be used to repay $119 million of the senior secured term loan B facility maturing in April 2014. IPO Success Pinnacle Foods had a very successful IPO on March 28, 2013.The company issued a total of 33,350,000 shares of common stock, including the entirety of the additional 4,350,000 shares that the underwriters had the option to purchase. Pinnacle now has a total of 117. 2 million common shares outstanding. Net of all underwritin g discounts, Pinnacle raised $627 million through this offering, which is $81. 8 million more than they had initially anticipated. Pinnacle will couple this money with $40 million of cash on hand to pay down $667 million in outstanding debt. Instead of their initial plans of repaying $119 million of their term loan B due next April, they will repay $202 million.Exhibit 6: Pinnacle Foods’ Stock Performance Since IPO as Compared to S&P 500 As can be seen in Exhibit 6, Pinnacle shares (blue line) seem to be experiencing steady growth since their IPO on March 28, 2013. This is especially positive since the S&P 500 (brown line) seems to be doing quite the opposite. Pinnacle shares have increased from their low of $22. 15 to a high of $24. 61, an 11% increase. References Driscoll, M. (2013, Mar 25). Pinnacle is hoping investors feel hungry. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1319182111? accountid=13803 G. , S. S. (2007).Black stone Chows Down O n Pinnacle Foods Group. (cover story). High Yield Report, 18(7), 1-15. Stegelin, F. , & Houston, J. (2007). Factors Influencing the Initial Public Offering (IPO) Decision of Food Distribution Firms. Journal Of Food Distribution Research, 38(1), 215-216. Stratton, K. (2012). Pinnacle Foods Group Gets 55,000SF Update in Parsippany. National Real Estate Investor Exclusive Insight, 8. Bisbey, A. (2012). Pinnacle Foods Shopping $300M Incremental TL. High Yield Report, 23(34), 28. PRNewswire (2013, Apr 3). Pinnacle Foods Inc. Announces Successful Closing of its Initial Public Offering. ttp://investors. pinnaclefoods. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=223400&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1803206&highlight= PRNewswire (2013, Mar 6). Pinnacle Foods Finance LLC Reports Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2012 Results. http://investors. pinnaclefoods. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=223400&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1795035&highlight= Business Wire (2013, Mar 27). Pinnacle Foods Inc. Announces Pricing of its Initial Public Offering. http://i nvestors. pinnaclefoods. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=223400&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1801326&highlight= http://www. rttnews. com/2088372/pinnacle-foods-raises-net-proceeds-of-627-mln-i

Pride of China

The four-century-long Han rule is divided into two periods: the Earlier or Western Han and the Later or Eastern Han. In between these two was the short-lived Hsin Dynasty (AD 9-23). The Chinese show their pride in Han accomplishments by calling themselves the Han people. Philosophies and institutions that began in the Chou and Ch'in periods reached maturity under the Han. During Han times, the Chinese distinguished themselves in making scientific discoveries, many of which were not known to Westerners until centuries later. The Chinese were most advanced in astronomy. They invented sundials and water clocks, divided the day equally into ten and then into 12 periods, devised the lunar calendar that continued to be used until 1912, and recorded sunspots regularly. In mathematics, the Chinese were the first to use the place value system, whereby the value of a component of a number is indicated by its placement. Other innovations were of a more practical nature: wheelbarrows, locks to control water levels in streams and canals, and compasses. The Han Chinese were especially distinguished in the field of art. The famous sculpture of the â€Å"Han flying horse† and the carving of the jade burial suit found in Han period tombs are only two superb examples. The technique of making lacquer ware was also highly developed. The Chinese are proudest of the tradition of historical writing that began in the Han period. Ssu-ma Ch'ien (145? -85? BC) was grand historian (an office that combined the duties of court recorder and astronomer) during the time of Wu Ti. His `Historical Records', which took ten years to complete, established the pattern and style followed by subsequent histories. In the Later Han, the historical tradition was continued by the Pan family. Pan Piao, the father, started to bring Ssu-ma Ch'ien's `Records' up to date. The work was continued by his son Pan Ku (twin brother of the general Pan Ch'ao) and was completed by his daughter Pan Chao, China's earliest and most famous woman scholar. Unlike Ssu-ma Ch'ien, the Pan family limited their work to 230 years of the Early Han. This was the first of the dynastic histories, subsequently written for every dynasty. Pan Chao also wrote a highly influential work on the education of women, `Lessons for Women'. Lessons' emphasized the â€Å"virtues† of women, which restricted women's activities. The Confucianism that the Han Dynasty restored differed from the original teachings of Confucius. The leading Han philosophers, Tung Chung-shu and others, used principles derived from the early Chinese philosophy of nature to interpret the ancient texts. The Chinese philosophy of nature explained the workings of the universe by the alternating forces of yin and yang–dark and light–and the five elements: earth, wood, metal, fire, and water. The Han period was marked by a broad eclecticism. Many Han emperors favored Taoism, especially the Taoist idea of immortality. Earlier (Western) Han (202 BC-AD 9). The Han Kao Tsu preserved many features of the Ch'in imperial system, such as the administrative division of the country and the central bureaucracy. But the Han rulers lifted the Ch'in ban on philosophical and historical writings. Han Kao Tsu called for the services of men of talent, not only to restore the destroyed classics but to serve as officials in the government. From that time, the Chinese Empire was governed by a body of officials theoretically selected on merit. Such a practice has few parallels elsewhere at this early date in human history. The new ruler who restored peace and order was a member of the house of Han, the original Liu family. His title was Kuang Wu Ti, â€Å"Shining Martial Emperor,† from AD 25 to 57. During the Later Han, which lasted another 200 years, a concerted but unsuccessful effort was made to restore the glory of the former Han. The Later Han scored considerable success in recovering lost territories, however. Sent to befriend the tribes on the northwestern frontier in AD 73, a great diplomat-general, Pan Ch'ao, eventually led an army of 70,000 almost to the borders of eastern Europe. Pan Ch'ao returned to China in 101 and brought back information about the Roman Empire. The Romans also knew about China, but they thought of it only as the land where silk was produced. The Han Dynasty lasted four hundred years. The term â€Å"The Han people† comes from the name of this dynasty. (The English term for â€Å"China† comes from the name of the previous dynasty Ch'in). The Han dynasty is the East Asian counterpart of and contemporary with Rome in its golden age. During this dynasty, China officially became a Confucian state, prospered domestically, and extended its political and cultural influence over Vietnam, Central Asia, Mongolia, and Korea before finally collapsing under a mixture of domestic and external pressures. The Han ruling line was briefly interrupted by the usurpation of a famous reformer, Wang Mang, whose interlude on the throne from A. D. 9 to 23 in known as the Hsin dynasty. Historians therefore subdivide the Han period into two parts, Former (or Western) Han (capital at Ch'ang-an, present day Xi'an) and Later (Eastern) Han (capital at Loyang).

Financial Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Report - Essay Example The company has a wide range of stakeholders such as the investors, the creditors, the government, customers, employees and the public. As mentioned above, the user’s have diverse needs, which are met through the provision of the financial statements. The key features in Sandall Arnold’s financial statements are the income statement, the statement of the financial position for two years, 2012 and 2013, and the independent auditor’s report (Gibson 2009, pp. 193) If the provision of the  £ 30 million worth of claim is not included in the Sandall Arnold’s financial statement, the auditor will issue a modified audit opinion ( type: likelihood of a misstatement) for the reason that all other items are correctly stated but the provision. However, if the provision is made, the auditors will give an unmodified opinion showing that the company’s financial statements present â€Å"a true and fair view† of the financial position. The two corporate governance deficiencies identified are the failure of the board of directors to develop remuneration package of other directors based on performance evaluation. Second, the board of directors disregarded a significant internal management process (performance evaluation). In order to improve decision making, the management should observe the rules and regulations set out by the company’s founders. Second, the board of directors should exercise fairness and probity when making de cisions (Bagshaw 2013, pp. 20-23) Based on the two-year income statement of Sandall Arnold’s company, the company’s revenue increased by 1.612% between 2010 and 2013. The gross profit increased by 96% between the two periods. The costs of sales decreased by 8.969% between the two periods. The profit before tax increased by 242.86% and the profit increased by 200% between the two years. The above movements are due to the revenue increase and a decrease in costs of goods sold

The American Experience Discussion Questions Essay

The American Experience Discussion Questions - Essay Example This legitimacy has been questioned over the years by various leaders such as Nelson Mandela who was quoted as saying "if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America (Nagasaki and Hiroshima)"(Daily News, NY). The view of the role the U.S. has taken on has changed from positive to negative. The United States recently has taken on the role of hated and despised despite the fact that the U.S. has contributed billions in aid to other countries and sent in troops to support emerging democracies (Afghanistan and Iraq). There were many scientific advances made during World War II that affected the outcome of the war. By far medical care for wounded soldiers made tremendous leaps during the war. Medical care was designed to "conserve the strength and efficiency of the fighting forces so as to keep as many men at as many guns for as many days possible."(World War II Encyclopedia). Scientists created a better blood substitute called serum albumin and eventually science brought whole blood to the field or field hospitals to be given to wounded servicemen. With this advance more servicemen made it from the battlefield to the field hospitals and hospital ships for further life-saving care. Other advances such as treatments and preventives (DDT and Quinine) for malaria were developed.

Dynamics of Strategy Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Dynamics of Strategy - Dissertation Example The current study tries to investigate the strategies that are pursed by Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc and whether they are successful or not? Especially in context of on-line business that has opened up numerous options for the organization that can be effectively tapped. An extensive external business environment evaluation will be undertaken for determining the impact of external factors on company’s strategy (Tassou S & Ge Y, retrieved on 20th April, 2011). The e-strategic resource capability of Morrison would be analyzed in order to figure out its potential and capacity to meet the current demand and requirement of the retail industry. And lastly, it will also be examined whether Morrison is in strategic fir with the environment or needs certain reconstruction in its policies and procedures to sustain in the competitive league (Scotland H, 2005). INTRODUCTION Wm Morrison Supermarket plc is generally referred to as ‘Morrison’ which was initially propounded by W illiam Morrison way back in the year 1899, one of the most important organization featuring in the FTSE 100 Index with almost 375 stores in operations currently. The organization is widely spread in both the northern and southern part of England and strong presence in other regions as well. The organization prefers to keep its working as simple as possible but renders it services efficiently and effectively with the company policy to keep the pricing low and maintaining high efficiency level. The study would analyze the strategic approaches of Wm Morrison Supermarket plc through traditional marketing tools such as PESTEL, Porter’s five forces model, along with emergent and international market strategy on e-business or online business strategy adopted by Morrison.. The company’s financial decision making and risk analysis approach would also be studied intensively. The term in itself is too wide; e-business can actually describe the organizations operation. E-business also reveals the various applications of information and communication technologies that a business can apply for attaining a cost reduction, enhancement in customer quality services and creating a new market for exiting products and for newly developed products. Morrison can effectively make use of e-business strategy in order to maximize its competitive advantage. However, what Morrison actually needs to work upon is: 1) The excessive high costs which the firm has incurred in the ICT investment and also the financial analysis for the investment amount regarding its payback time period and the profits which can be recovered from the same. 2) The organization has to ensure that best technical skills and managerial skills must be available for putting the strategy into actual implementation. 3) Thirdly the disinclination of the firm towards marinating networking relationships with other enterprises must be overcome for attaining optimum results. EXTERNAL ANALYSIS Morrison’s vi sion for the future is to exhibit itself as a ‘

Sustainability Accounting & Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sustainability Accounting & Reporting - Essay Example Process of dealing with the environmental problems accounting is very necessary. Companies need to maintain corporate social responsibility to keep in check stakeholder reasoning. Moreover, different companies normally set uniquely the stakeholders patterns of influence encompassing the stakeholders in the general operation is important. Setting effective base for the CSR the corporations must maintain proper accounts and descriptive theories in explaining CSR, which encompasses managerialist, middle of the road and theoretical model. There exist several means of enhancing the practice of CSR that have evolved over time from the small aspects in business to become key component of business activity. Each industry sets the outline in handling CSR. Triple bottom line reporting provides good start towards sustainability. Process of dealing with social and environmental problems internal organizational perspective is important. Moreover, the consequent development in triple reporting is normally integrated reporting that presents many benefits and possess some few challenges. Most business is naturally unsustainable creating questions while trying to satisfy the social and environmental problems. Therefore, the process ought to allow for sustainability the society that ought to change their perceptions. Partnerships are new dew developments that bring about joint ideas in operations and networking. Moreover, public are good drivers of sustainability than the corporations. Proper costing of carbon is driven by the NGER act; several implications can be identified with the

English as an Academic Language in UAE Research Paper

English as an Academic Language in UAE - Research Paper Example ELT professionalism evolved on the basis of diverse sources. One such source was the development of educational programs focusing on adult foreign language learning throughout the European countries and UAE. Another valuable source in the development of ELT was the exponential growth of anthropological and structural linguistics in the United States of America. Moreover, the influence of anthropological and structural linguistics development has not only been limited to the territorial boundaries of the United States but has also permeated and influenced the educational system of United Arab Emirates. The third most important source in the development of ELT professionalism was the education in British colonial states. An important aspect of ELT development in colonial states was: first, the development was a perfect reflection of the events that happened in the metropolis, and second, it simply failed to address the cultural, political and social educational needs of the inhabitants of the vast British Empire. Thus, the colonized people were more or less treated as puppets loyal to the British officials. However, certain factors posed obstacles in the development of ELT professionalism. One such factor was the development of other European languages such as French. (Wodak, R., & Corson, D.1997).

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global Research Paper

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global communications for these reasons - Research Paper Example In the current world people are enjoying the evolution of flat screens, and the technology of 3D. Viewers enjoy better view and the industry will be big in the future. Most of the duties performed by television industries are unique like broadcasting football matches from different part of the earth. The introduction of big flat and colored televisions are making individuals enjoy when watching football matches unlike before when everything broadcasted by televisions were only in black and white. International relations is the relationship between countries in the world. This relationship is based on mutual respect. This is because every country in the world is a sovereign state. International relations has facilitated a lot of things in the world; the growth and development of the international market depends highly on the international relations between different states of the world (Wilkins, 2001). Evolution of Television Opt electric Transformation This was the first of the serie s of the nineteenth-century discoveries which finally became the basis of television discovery. This process which leads to changes of behavior of electrons caused by variations in amount of light illuminating a given material. This process was very instrumental in the development of the television (Todorivic, 14). ... For it to be possible to reproduce all the tones from black to white passing by different shades of gray, the light source was expected to be able to change its intensity several hundred times in the course of one television line, and this was to be during the 60th of the duration of one picture ( Todorivic, 17). The Cathode-Ray Tube More research in the development of television shows that Nipkow disk was not a perfect solution for the display of transmitted moving images. By the end of nineteenth century cathode-ray tube was developed which became the essential and basic television display device (Todorivic, 17). Discovery and development of the television have had several advantages to the world. Television can be used for entertainment and as well as educational uses. Television is one source of informing whereby broadcast news and weather stations help in keeping people updated about the current events. This helps people in knowing what is happening around them before they make some decisions or adjustments to fit in the updates received from the television. Television can be used for educating purposes. Through the programs casted by the television and adverts individuals are able to learn new things through this channel of communication. When families sit together to watch different programs, this helps in creating a strong family bond because as people watch they share a lot about what they are watching (Anthony, 2007). Complex TV shows or movies requires a great deal of intelligence to comprehend the story line of the show or movie. The current TV stations not only bring comedy, drama and action to their viewers but also they have been bringing some programs

Ethics and Performance Measures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethics and Performance Measures - Research Paper Example It is imperative to measure the extent to which ethics are applied, so that the company becomes resourceful to employees and the community at large. By doing so, it win the trust of consumers, as well as gaining more profits for the organization. When a company manages to have a greater profit margin, it has a better opportunity to expand and offer more opportunities for employees. The vices that are taken for granted in the company are the ones that draw back the efforts in the organization (Shell, 2009). Unethical Behavior As A Result of Wrong Performance Measures There are many things which lead to the unethical behaviors in an organization. There is a need for constant checking of the manner in which employees conduct themselves because, if they are left on their own, they end up making mistakes due to peer influence or greed. In Sparkling Automotive Company, the presidents need to ensure that there is the measurement of ethics and behaviors of the employees because failure to ch eck on the behaviors can ruin a business that has been operational since 1930. The fact that there are no unethical behaviors exhibited by the employees does not mean that the employees are trustworthy (Arveson, 2002). Most of the employees harbor bad intentions or they get influenced by corrupt distributors or suppliers who access commodity from the company in wholesale. They may offers bribes to the respective employees for some under movements which will cause the company a lot of money. This ends up making the company undergo loss because the workers will out any money to be paid. Competitors use the gullible employees to carry out destructive missions, such as pirating the procedures used in manufacturing of the plugs; they result in production of counterfeit products which affect the results in the markets. Many workers who do not keep the secrets of the company line of production cause a dent to the company because they create unnecessary fracture to the production niche. Whe n counterfeit products are in surplus in the market, it takes the market a hard time to realize, hence, it affects the turnover of the company (Arveson, 2002). Corrupt means of cost cutting in the company where the heads of the organization acquire bribe to give tenders affect the image of the company. All this needs to be checked because neglecting such issues only worsens the situation in the organization of Sparkling Automotive Company (SAC) (Shell, 2009). When performance measures are tied to compensations, it creates a workforce that is driven by the need to create more resources for the company. This propagates the encouragement of unethical behaviors due to compromised honesty. In Sparkling Automotive Company, performance measures fall into four categories, which are customer perspective, financial perspective, internal process perspective, and learning and growth perspective. All these categories need to be acted upon for the company to flourish in its manufacturing and sale s of plugs in Sparkling Automotive Company. When all levels of employees in the company are not involved in the company activities pertaining production and selling of the plugs, there would be a lot of frauds that can choke the running of the organization. Delivering the plugs can counter a lot of hiccups which slow the

Affirmative action,is it necessary in the 21st. century Essay

Affirmative action,is it necessary in the 21st. century - Essay Example And although they have nurtured a particular vision of social justice. Unfortunately, not all the problems of equal opportunities at the workplace have been solved. For females and minority employees, affirmative action proposes great opportunities to be equally treated and protected (to some extent). During half a century, affirmative action policies have proved their effectiveness, but cannot "abolish" gender and racial inequalities. For this reason, training and promotion activities as a part of affirmative action are vital for successful organizational performance. Nevertheless, there are some disadvantages of these policies. They include low-qualifies fork force and low-personal achievements of employees involved in the affirmative action programs. To over come these possible threats the organization should conduct programming of specific human resources activities, based on personal development and human capital policies.Organisations play a major and continuing role in the liv es of people, especially with the growth of large-scale business organisations and the divorce of ownership from management. Organisations of one form or another are a necessary part of a society and serve many important needs. The decisions and actions of management in organisations have an increasing impact on individuals, other organisations and the community. It is important, therefore, to understand the role of affirmative action and the pervasive influences which it exercises over the behaviour of people. In the 21st century, the debate over pros and cons of affirmative action is still alive. Heated discussions concern the role of affirmative action in organizational development and its impact on HR management. The policy of affirmative action has deep roots. It goes back to 1941 when F. Roosevelt "encouraged minority employment by ordering defense contractors to cease discriminatory hiring" (Yates, n.d.). Further, this concept was developed by Lyndon Johnson in 1965 when he "put teeth into minority hiring rules for government contractors' (Yates, n.d.). The next amendments took place under the presidency of J. Kennedy who introduced Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) "establishing to investigate contractors' practices, impose sanctions, collect employment statistics, and ensure compliance with government regulations" (Yates, n.d.). The necessity of Affirmative action was caused by dominance by white males in American workforce. At the middle of the XX century they occupied the majority of managerial positions and many of the more important blue-collar jobs. The role of women was to occupies lower-paying positions. On the other hand, racial minorities found considerable barriers to entering the labor market at the higher paying levels. The necessity of affirmative action is still an issue of the day, because people are discriminated in many aspects of our life and work. The selection process in particular directly discriminates between people in order to offer the reward of a job to one but not the others. Certain forms of discrimination are acceptable but others are not, and have been made unlawful. Facts rather than prejudice, and relevant facts rather than irrelevant facts, are important criteria in determining what type of discrimination is acceptable. "For instance, members of minority groups, females, the hard core disadvantaged, persons with disabilities, veterans, and persons more senior in age than most or who have sexual preference differences. People and groups of people typically discriminated against on the job, in promotional consideration, in employment retention, in hiring, in services and in admissions" (Martinez, 1997). Legislation, voluntary codes

ICAS Report Planning Template Essay Example for Free

ICAS Report Planning Template Essay ABC Ltd supplies a complete range of carpets and furniture to the general public. ABC Ltd has over 75 nationwide high street shops in all major UK cities and many large towns. ABC Ltd also has a 24/7 online shop which is on the head office site in Aberdeen. Over the past seven years the company has grown steadily and now has revenue of over  £29 million. It employs around 400 full-time staff. Who are the businesses major stakeholders (internal and external) and why? Major stakeholders of the business could be anyone who has an interest in the business. The business is the sole supplier of a range of furniture. The relationship with this supplier is crucial to the success of the business due to the competitive advantage that it offers ABC. Accounts Department (PIC 1.1, 1.4) How big is the Accounts department? What is the purpose of the accounting function? What type of organisational structure is there? Where does the accounts department get its information from? How does the accounts  department inter-relate with other departments within the business? At ABC Ltd the accounts department consists of the Finance Director, Company Accountant, General Ledger and Inventory Clerk, Accounts Payable Clerk, accounts receivable clerk, costing technician As well as payroll and personnel database clerk. The departments deal with the payments of invoices, comparing them to the  purchase orders and the stock receipts. They also monitor the stock and requirement for purchase orders. The department is also responsible for the credit control function, monitoring customers and the payment of the staff wages. In order to carry out these roles Accounts are forced to interact with the whole of the organisation to gather information. ABC use an account spackage which is fully integrated with the rest of the business software. The use an Enterprise Management System called PRONTO. This software allows for multi user access which can be restricted based on job roles. Non accounts users can see, but not change essential financial data, such as supplier and customer balances. Describe (in relation to the organisation) the 3 main financial statements – Income statement, SOFP and Statement of Cashflow. (PIC   What do they show? Who uses them? What decisions are made based on them? Income Statement SOFP Statement of Cashflow Income statements illustrate ABC Ltd profit or loss over a certain periods of time. The income statement records all revenue, losses and operating expenses for the business. The IS can be used to show profitability of the  company. Income statements are used by stakeholders, company accountants, financial directors and  managing directors. The income statements compared with other income statements within ABC Ltd over a period of time or  companies within the same sector will be able to determine the operating performance of ABC Ltd. Managers and the company accountant may be able to find out what areas of the business are over budget or under budget and make necessary changes. Statements of Financial Position (SOFP) illustrate a snap shot of the business financial condition. The SOFP includes the assets and liabilities of ABC Ltd. This is ia good indicator of the liquidity of the business. This statement will again be used by stakeholders, company accountants, financial directors and managing directors. Managers and the company accountant may be able to quickly get a handle on the financial strength and capabilities of the business, it’s also demonstrates if ABC ’s assets is enough to cover its liabilities, how liquid its assets are if ABC was to declare bankruptcy, if the business is in a position to expand etc. Statements of Cash flow illustrate the amount of cash generated and used by the business in a given period of time. Again this gives an indication of liquidity and working capital management. This statement will again be used by stakeholders, company  accountants, financial directors and managing directors. Managers  and the company accountant may be able to determine whether the business has enough cash to cover payroll and other immediate expenses or liabilities, as well as allow potential lenders to decide whether or not ABC Ltd is able to pay of its liabilities. What accounting regulations cover the preparation of the above financial statements? (PIC 2.1) In the UK, financial statements are governed by UKGAAP (UK Generally Accepted  Accounting Principles). They are also governed by the Companies Act What other accounting regulations and industry specific regulations does the company have to comply with? Does the company have to deal with Money-Laundering regulations? Does the company come under Sarbanes-Oxley? (PIC 2.1) The company also has to comply with the data protection act as they hold customer and staff information. Non compliance with this act can have severe financial and reputational implications. They are also required to comply with any rules set out by HMRC when paying employees and also calculating the tax liability of the business. The company does not have to comply with Sarbanes Oxley as this only affects companies registered with the New York Stock Exchange When the company has to deal with a change to the above regulations how does it organise this? In what way are system users affected by the change How do they get to find out about the change? (PIC 1.5) The Finance manger and HR manager monitor all regulations and alert the business when changes are made that will affect how the business operates. Changes are implemented by ensuring all staff are made aware of the change via internal communication methods. If need be employees are trained to ensure they fully understand the changes taking place.

Theology Essays | Old Testament

Theology Essays | Old Testament Did the prophets of the Old Testament predict the future, or did they speak to change to way people were behaving? In essence, were they foretellers or forthtellers? IntroductionThe Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament recounts the history, and specifically the religious history of Israel, from the creation to a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. The Old Testament tells the story of the people of Israel and their relationship with God or Yaweh. It tells how Israel sinned against the God who had given her all that she had because the people were unable to keep to their covenant with God (Lemche, 1995). Within the Old Testament the Prophetic writings either address the specific historical conditions in Israel or they refer to social conditions. This paper will examine the books of the Prophet Amos and of the Prophet Isaiah to assess whether the prophets were foretellers or forthtellers. The paper will begin with a brief sketch of the historical background followed by an explanation of terms with reference to Amos and Isaiah.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prophets, Foretellers and Forthtellers.The writings attributed to the prophets Amos and Isaiah date from around the eighth and seventh centuries BCE. They are two of the later prophets and they spoke against the backdrop of the changing political scene which resulted in the exile of Israel, the northern kingdom, after the capture of Samaria in 721 BCE and then to the exile of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE (Clines, 1990). The central message of these prophets is to do with the exile, either warning of its coming or reflecting on its meaning and calling for the people to repent in order that God might change his mind. Scholars are of the opinion that the books have been subject to later editing, what is known as redaction, the imposition of something that happened in a different context. It is for this reason that the texts, while having a historical backdrop, and giving some historical facts, should not be regarded as a straightforward historical record. Rather they are a record of God’s dealing with his people. Unlike earlier prophets, these writings say far less about the prophets and more about the words of God that they give and receive (Whybray, 1993). The word prophet is generally accepted to have come from the Hebrew word ‘nabi’ which means to speak or to utter words. The biblical usage of the word has meant that it has come to be associated with someone who is the interpreter and mouthpiece of God.This is made clear in the opening verses of the Book of Amos, a shepherd of Tekoa. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds wither, and the top of Carmel dries up (Amos. 1:2 NRSV). In the above verse Amos describes the way in which the Lord speaks through him and verse three then begins with Thus says the Lord. First Isaiah begins in much the same way: Hear o heavens, and listen, o earth; for the Lord has spoken: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me (Isaiah, 1:2 NRSV). Here Isaiah is literally proclaiming himself as the mouth piece of the Lord. The word ‘nabi’ expresses a function, it is what the prophet does, other words are used to denote what the prophet is, an oracle or a man of vision. Isaiah is known as a major prophhet because of the length of the book and Amos a minor prophet because his writings are much shorter. The prophets then, were divine messengers who addressed the people of God. In most cases the messages were not asked for Amos chapter seven tells how God put Amos where he was: ..and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, â€Å"Go, prophesy to my people Israel† (Amos, 7:15). The book of Amos begins by introducing the prophet as a shepherd and then goes straight into the message from God as in verse two. Isaiah also begins by introducing the prophet and then proceeds to God’s word to the people. Some prophets were sons of prophets and some belonged to a community of prophets under a leader, some were solitary like Amos who did not really count himself a prophet, Then Amos answered Amaziah, â€Å"I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son†¦and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, â€Å"Go, prophesy to my people Israel (Amos, 7:14-15). Both Amos and Isaiah spoke out against social injustice and the ways in which the rich people cheated those who were poor. The prophet Amos spoke out against the idolatry of the people, who still strayed after the golden calf idol which had been set up by King Jeroboam the first when the nation was first split into two kingdoms. Amos spoke in the time of Jeroboam the second when Israel was enjoying a time of prosperity (Clines, 1990). Amos spoke out against the religious and social corruption that he saw around him. He spoke of Israel’s guilt and of their forthcoming punishment in chapter three: Hear this that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: You only have I known, of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities (Amos 3:1-2). Isaiah wrote in the eighth century BCE, almost two hundred years before the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon (Clines, 1990). He spoke to the people of Judah, and warned them of God’s displeasure. They had become complacent and tolerated all kinds of social injustice. When Isaiah wrote the people were reaching the point of no return because of their rejection of God and their constant refusal to give up their corrupt religious practices and their oppression of the poor. Thus, in the opening chapter Isaiah tells the people: When you stretch out your hands, I will turn my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers I shall not listen; your hands are full of blood. Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow (Isaiah, 1:15 and 17). The words of the prophets can be read at a number of levels. They were forthtellers in that they spoke out against injustice and called the people back to God. They were foretellers in that they warned of the judgement and punishment to come if the people continued in their idolatry and their unjust practices. The most famous verse of this nature is to be found in the book of the prophet Amos chapter five:    Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:23-24). Amos is speaking out against the social injustices of his time and saying that God’s command was for the people to be just and righteous. It was a verse used by Martin Luther King when he spoke out against the racial injustices in America and headed Black people’s struggle for civil rights in the 1960s. Isaiah also spoke out against injustice and makes use of the image of a vineyard where grapes are pressed, the injustices committed against the people, are, in God’s eyes, akin to pressing their faces in the same way that grapes are pressed. Isaiah says in chapter 5: But the Lord of Hosts is exalted by justice, and the holy God shows himself holy by righteiousness (Isaiah, 5:16) In this way the prophets were forthtellers because the word means to speak forth, or speak out against the wrong that people were doing and to tell them that what God required of them was to act justly and in this way they could achieve righteousness. The people had forsaken God’s Holy Law which had been given to them by Moses and the prophets were called by God to draw the people back. When they were not being idolatrous the people were indulging in empty religious ritual. Amos tells the people how displeased God is with their religious ‘nodding’: I hate, I despise your festivals, and I taken no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them (Amos, 5:21-22).   Amos speaks out against the people’s religious practices and tells them it is not religion that God wants from them, but justice. Whenever the prophet speaks forth and tells of God’s displeasure he also later reminds them of God’s loving and forgiving nature. Although the prophets forthtell God’s judgement on an unrepentant people, they also fortell, or speak of God’s future blessings if the people mend their ways. Even though God has spoken to the noble women, calling them the cows of Bashan (Amos, 4:1) he provides a way of escape in chapter five. Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no-one to quench it (Amos, 5:6). This is very similar to the message in the first chapter of Isaiah where God speaks against the people. Isaiah forthtells God’s displeasure but then says that if they seek God and do justice then God will repent himself of the punishment he is calling down. Clines (1990) maintains that the major job of the prophets was to call the people back to obedience. To do this they spoke out against injustice and corrupt or empty religious practice and warned of the judgement of God if they continued living life that way. Amos particularly has often been called the prophet of doom because of his warnings about the destruction of the way of life of the people and yet he also gives a message of hope. The prophets therefore forthtell in that they speak directly to the situation as they believe God has revealed to them, but they also foretell in that they speak of impending judgement if the people do not return to obedience. The prophets felt that God alone directed the course of history, a nd that God would punish the people who did not worship him in the right way. Worship applied to all areas of life, from formal worship to social justice and right relationships. The prophets called the people to repentance. Lemche (1995) maintains that the prophets observe what is going on, that society no longer adhered to the laws underlying the world God created. They then forthtell what is wrong and outline what the consequences will be if they continue. It is not easy to date exactly when or how the prophetic writings were put together, scholars are generally agreed that the book of Amos is the work of one person, either Amos himself or his scribe. The book of Isaiah on the other hand presents more problems, some scholars accept that it is the work of one person, others state that parts of the book describe events that happened long after the prophet’s death and must therefore have been written by a second and even third authors. By and large however these scholars reject the religious belief that God alone directed the course of history and this was perhaps why Isaiah could have been cognisant of future events. Certainly Isaiah lived in turbulent times, Jerusalem was under siege from the Assyrian Sennacherib and Isaiah forthtold God’s wrath over the sins of the people. Assyrian will be the means of God punishing the people, in chapter 10 God speaks of Assyria as: the rod of my anger-the club in their hands is my fury! Against a godless nation I send him and against the people of my wrath I command him to take spoil, and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets   (Isaiah, 10:5-6).   Ã‚  ConclusionThe prophets Amos and Isaiah, forthtold or spoke against the injustices that they saw. They warned the people that if they did not return to the correct form of worship laid out by Moses and reiterated in the book of the prophet Hosea: that knowledge of God was achieved through doing justice and by pleading the cause of the oppressed. The prophets may have foretold some events but what is most important about the prophetic writings is their forthtelling. The prophets spoke out against the social conditions that they observed and the ways in which people dealt with each other. When they dealt unjustly then God did not want their worship because it was empty. Religion only meant something if its effects could be seen in the pursuit of justice and of just dealings with others. The prophets warned the people that God would punish them if they did not heed his call to repent. They did not just foretell doom, God loved the people, he would forgive them if they returned to him, but if they did not then the prophets warned that only a remnant would be saved. It is not easy always to separate where the prophets may be speaking of future events or whether this has been altered when the books were edited. What is clear is that the prophets were forthtellers in that from their observation of the social conditions they spoke forth what they believed was God’s word to the people. Bibliography Clines, D. Fowl, S. and Porter, S eds. 1990 The Bible in Three Dimensions: Essays in Celebration of Forty Years of Biblical Studies in the University of Sheffield Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press Lemche, N 1995 Ancient Israel: A New History of Israelite Society Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press Holy Bible 1995 New Revised Standard Version   Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House Whybray, N 1987 The Making of the Pentateuch (JSOT, 53: Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press) http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12477a.htm

Career Development Essay

Career Development Essay Jump to: Phases of Career Development | Career Development System | Steps for Career Development Plan | How to Create a Career Plan | Career Plan Example | Conclusions and Recommendations INTRODUCTION When we were kids, every one of us where thinking of being something or having specific job in the future. Many of us were thinking to be doctors, teachers, policeman, pilot etc But reaching these positions or got these jobs will not be easy without knowing what are we good at and what are the ears that we want to improve ourselves in. Also if we want to get these jobs or positions we should have goals and we have to work as hard as we can to accomplish these goals. Every one of us should have a career plan in mind when we graduate from universities or collage or even before that when we graduate from high school because having plan is always motivate us to study, work and develop ourselves in order to achieve and accomplish our plan. When we get our first job we should ask for career development plan and it will be much better if we could draw this plan ourselves because we know what our strengths and weakness and we know what are the best trainings and programs we should take in order to improve ourselves. Career development is very important aspect in our working life and personal life. In our working life its important because no one of us wants or wishes to stay and the same job and the same position for ever, without developing or having the career development plan we will not be able to improve ourselves and get promoted. In our personal life it is important to have career development plan we will be able to make our families and friends happy and proud of us because by having the career development plan we will be able to reach our goals that we have always dream of. This paper is talking about the career development and career development plan and how it is important for the employees and the organizations. CAREER DEVELOPMENT Now days there are many people change their careers more than one time in their lives. For these people who change their career for more than three times, they should know and understand the important of the career development. (John Groth) The career development is the formal approach used by the organization to help people acquire the skills and experiences needed to perform current and future jobs. (R. Wayne Mondy) The career development process is the exploring of your skills and what are your strengths and weakness. Career development is also like a plan you design it yourself to help you in advance through your career. (John Groth) The Roles of the Managers and the Employees in the Career Development (R. Wayne Mondy) Managers Appraising the Performance Coaching and Supporting Guiding and Counseling Providing Feedback Supplying Information Employees Self Assessment Gathering Data Setting Goals Working with Supervisor Developing Plan THE THREE STAGES OF THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT: The First Stage is the Bring It on Stage: this is the first stage in the career life. The age of the people in this stage is from the mid 20s to the early 30s. People in this stage of their career development are very active, strong and powerful. They determine to make their mark in the world of work. Most of the people in this stage feel that they are very strong and able to do everything they asked for also they can make what they want to happen. Success and possibilities are unlimited during this stage. (Dan Strakal) The Second Stage is the Realistic Stage: the age of the people in this stage is from the early 30s to mid 40s. During this stage specific values and career realities begin to come out. At the point of the career development, people of this stage feel that the values could create a conflict between choosing priorities in their work life and their home lives. After spending 10 to 15 years in the workforce, people in this stage feel that they might not being able to do what they were planning to at all, because some of them are feeling that they are not controlling their own career destines. (Dan Strakal) The Third Stage is the Reinvention Stage: this is the last stage in the career development. The age of the people in this stage is from the mid 40s to retirement. This stage starts when people began to redefining and reconciling their work life and personal life. People during this stage have learned from many challenges that they were facing in the last pervious stages and this is the best time to be focus in creating a legacy of specific contributions to be remembered for in their careers, their families and their communities. (Dan Strakal) THE ROLES OF THE LEADERS AND MANAGERS DURING THE THREE STAGES OF THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT : They have to find ways to match peoples values, beliefs, and behaviors to projects and tasks. For example it will be great if they assignee people who are in the Bring it on Stage to the tasks or projects which need and required lots of energy. Get the people who are in the Realistic Stage to value added projects or tasks so they can feel engaged and a part of something big and important. For the people who are in the Reinvention Stage, leaders and manager should get them in projects such as monitoring programs, company history initiatives or leadership development programs. (Dan Strakal) Managers and leader should understand the and knowledge the three stages in order to be able to prevent and solve problems and conflicts that may be occur due to career development differences in values and perspectives. (Dan Strakal) The Assessment Phase: Those who think about successful and satisfying career need to understand themselves first. They also need to know how in which way they can perform best at workplace. One of the key factors in career development is job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is at its highest when the job engages the strongest personality qualities of an individual and when the job is in line with individuals values and attitudes. The fit between employee and organization, in terms of organization nature and culture, directly affects employees career development, performance and chances to succeed. Leadership skills are one of the key factors in career development, too. Ability to cope with stress effectively is another important factor in career success. Assessments can help individuals understand their preferred activities, work style, learn best ways of working with others, and manage conflicts. Facilitates the improvement, alignment, and integration of overall organizational effectiveness and capabilitie s . Monitors progress over time . The assessment evaluates organizational approaches (processes), the extent to which they are deployed, evaluated/improved, aligned, and integrated throughout the organization, and their effectiveness at driving organizational results. Organization assessments are used for learning and improvement. Much like an annual health physical, this tool helps managers better understand what is working well and on what they should be focusing their improvement efforts. But the real value of an assessment is its ability to improve performance to improve outcomes and drive tangible organizational results. And a few studies have proven the value of an assessment and systemic management framework. Organizational Assessment Public and private organizations are complex systems of interacting components. In order to properly gauge the organizations performance and its readiness for change, it is critical to engage in an assessment for immediate feedback and understanding of issues such as: Roles and responsibilities Work climate Group dynamics Training needs Culture and norms Team behavior Communications Work processes Organizational Assessment Sequence Organizational Assessment is a systematic procedure to gather information about an organization, diagnose specific challenges, and develop ways to address them. Effective assessment should be seen as a window into the organization, providing insight into critical issues. It is the cornerstone of any transformation process, and provides the basis for determining how an organization will achieve its vision. Readiness for change is a proven and critical measure of success. Assessment is the first step in understanding the complexity of organizations and essential in measuring the conditions that are necessary for successful change. A thorough assessment will assist in developing an effective transformation plan. The information gathered provides the organization with an understanding of its readiness for change, as well as the actions that will be necessary for successful transformation. Organizational Assessments are an excellent first step towards taking action to initiate positive organizational change. Managing organizational change is an important challenge for leaders at all levels today. In assessing the effectiveness of an organization, it is important to first understand its functional purpose . Self Assessment: Self assessment is the first step of the career planning process. During a self assessment you gather information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. A self assessment should include a look at the following: Values: the things that are important to you, like achievement, status, and autonomy Interests: what you enjoy doing, i.e. playing golf, taking long walks, hanging out with friends Personality: a persons individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes In addition to determining what youre good at, a skills assessment also helps figure out what we enjoy doing. The direction phase: One of the most critical and important phase in the process of career development for employees in any organization is the direction phase that acts as a golden link between the assessment and development phases since it has two main roles by driving the identified employee to the appropriate path in the career life and provide a chance to improve the quality and options of this path in the future as a development mission. Only specialists have the ability to design the career direction of any employee based on their experience with taking in their consideration different aspects related to the organization and employee needs; in order to satisfy all the needs. At the same time, you as an employee must be honest in order to ensure the successful of the assessment phase and get the right information about yourself, so counselor will be able to select the right career path. The most important tasks carried out by them are: Choosing a major Developing a career plans Planning a job search Changing careers Counselor will have some discussions and meetings in order to show you different options available and suitable for your future. In case if you are not interested in those options for any reasons, other alternatives will be taken in considerations by designing a job research planning. Sometimes employees are working for a long time in the wrong field, but they accept this situation just to get salary and survive in this life. Actually this mistake must be solved by changing the whole career which is the most difficult step because counselor must focus on the behavioral and mentality side of individual. Nowadays, there are many career counseling centers and offices all over the world that provide a service for those who are confused and dont know what kind of career major to select. Today, the most valuable asset for everyone is the information that must be given for those who are looking for career development and job search. It is a complementary activity for setting up the direction process. Different methods and tools can be used to offer this information and training sessions for employees, such as seminars presented by professionals on a broad range of topics of interest to job seekers like (Starting Your Own Business, Working for a Charity). Also, job workshops can be carried out in order to gather the maximum number of people with different culture and knowledge and then divide them into groups to share ideas and points with each other besides learning from other mistakes and experiences. THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE: Introduction: The development phase in the career growth of an employee is a significant milestone to move in an organization. An employee who meets the requirements of career development is more likely to be catapulted to the higher position. This improvement however could not be done overnight because the skills, concepts, and capabilities are enhanced through processes. Discussion: The promotion of a certain individual depends on the success of the development phase. This stage in his life is crucial depending on people and organization that are responsible in preparing him for higher opportunities. These people and organizations that play key roles in shaping the employee to prepare for the new challenging tasks awaiting him on his new position, are either his managers, supervisors or even peer group and affiliated associations. Some of these common development programs offered by organizations are mentoring, coaching, job rotation and tuition assistance. The terms may change interchangeably but the desired objective to develop and mould the employee to the next higher position will help tremendously for the career development of the employee. Famous among the development programs is mentoring. To mentor as Psychology book says is to walk along with the other person. It could happen between a senior and a junior officer, manager and supervisor or supervisor and employee. It can happen also between a person and his peers, his organizations or affiliated association. Mentoring can simply be called advising, role modeling, sharing contacts and giving general support. Mentoring can happen any time during office hours or even outside of the official time. Moreover, it can happen in any levels in the organization. Empirical evidence proves that effective mentoring can improve outcomes such as performance levels, promotion rate, upward mobility, and income and job satisfaction. It can even re-ignite enthusiasm and motivation for those mentees who are about to retire. The most effective mentoring is matching the mentees skills and interests. Furthermore, another study reveals that employees with mentors have achieved greater level of career development. Another concept that is link to mentoring is job shadowing wherein a junior employee observes a more senior employee for a set duration. There are concerns to address in mentoring. Employees who belong to small organizations or individuals who are self employed may find a hard time finding a mentor. However, the solution is for them to affiliate in any organizations or associations that will serve as support system. The next development program is coaching which involves spontaneous meeting between employer and employee to discuss the latter career goals and development. This will enhance productivity and more likely to the managers own advancement. Another program is job rotation which could be an answer for companys downsizing. It gives the employee the opportunity to broaden his knowledge and increase marketability. Job rotation allows employee to work on another jobs and be trained to add more skills on his CV. However, one advantage is the fact that there are employees who by discretion do not want to broaden their horizons for the purpose of mastering own skills and potentials. Conclusion: The tuition assistance Program is another offering in the development program of the organization for his employees. This takes in the form of workshops, seminars, conventions and the like. It could also be in a form of scholarship grant to an individual which is the support of the organization to further the individuals knowledge. All these career development programs may happen simultaneously or it may be conducted one at a time. Not necessarily than an employees undertakes the four programs, but to avail of either one of these, as long as the program is effectively done will ensure promotion for the employee. CAREER DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM The career development system is an everyday activity shows how is the organizations needs are linked with the individuals needs so when the employees are satisfy with their career, the organization will achieve its goals and objectives. (Thomas H. Jakel) ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS What are the organizations major strategic issues over the next two or three years? Critical needs challenges to be faced? Critical skills, knowledge and experiences needed to meet these challenges? Staffing levels required? Does the organization have the strength necessary to meet the critical challenges? ISSUE Are employees developing themselves in a way that links personal effectiveness and satisfaction with the achievement of the organizations strategic objectives? INDIVIDUAL NEEDS How do I find career chances within the organization that will do the following? Use my strength Address my developmental needs Provide challenges Match my interests Match my values Match my personal style (Thomas H. Jakel) HOW CAN MANAGERS SUPPORT THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT There are many way that the managers can use to make their employees to take advantage of career development opportunities. Below are some ways that the managers can use to encourage and support their employees: The managers have to set time to meet with their employees and ask them about their career goals and how they would like to achieve these goals. The conversations should be un formal and friendly and the managers have to show their employees that they are not only supporting their development, but also show them that they are interested on their career goals. (Career Development The Managers Role) The managers have to evaluate their employees performance annually. Also they have to give then feedback and suggestions in how they can develop themselves. (Career Development The Managers Role) Make sure that the job descriptions change based on the talents that people bring to their jobs and projects. (Career Development The Managers Role) Recognize and reward the employees who are doing a good work. (Career Development The Managers Role) Managers have to focus on the development of the person more that improving his/her job performance. (Career Development The Managers Role) Start the employees development programs in a way that help them to establish their goals for their professional development. (Career Development The Managers Role) Make them feel that there are always enough budgets for the trainings programs. (Career Development The Managers Role) THE IMPACT OF THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT The career development could impact of the employees, staff, managers and departments. Impact on the employees: the career development will be very helpful for the employees because they will be able to see the path from one job to another, including the skills and knowledge needed. (Career Development: Impact) Impact on the Managers and the staff: career development will let the staff and managers to have the information and the tools to plan for career development and support succession planning. (Career Development: Impact) Impact on the Department: career development will get the department to have an access to more prepared internal candidates who are prepared for advancement. (Career Development: Impact) CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN What is Career Development Plan? Career Development Plan is the most important part of the performance review, and it is identify your strengths and weakness and the area that you need to develop in order to meet you career goals. Creating a career development plan will be very helpful to develop your strategies to take advantage of your chances for your future work. (Career Development Plan) Career Development Plan: it is like a map that shows you where do you have to move in your current career and where or what you want to work in the future. This map will show you how to develop yourself and how you want to provide yourself with the right and the important skills and experiences. It will also help you to find the right ways to achieve your goals and the organization goals and interests at the same time enjoy your work and try to balance between your career and your life. It is very important for the career development plan is to be fixable and it may be changed during your current job. (Career Development) An Individual Development Plan (IDP): it is a progress tool which discovers activities that will help you to improve your knowledge, skills and abilities. The IDP process gives you a chance to share with your supervisor or manager your objectives as well as talk about your strengths and development needs. (Career Development Tool: Career Planning) Since the career development plan includes and talk about your work experiences and your career goals and it could includes the development that needed for your current job, it is always good idea that you use this for moving to a new job as well. When you will start working on your career development plan you have to focus on your current job. Once you feel that you are meeting your current roles expectations then you can start develop plan for you future career. (Career Development Plan) The career development plan includes materials that allow you to think about your personal career development. By creating you personal career development you will be sure that you have all the skills, knowledge and the ability you need to successfully achieve your career goals. (Career Development Plan) You have to share your completed career development plan with your manager to make him/her aware of your career goals and plans. (Career Development Plan) HOW TO CREATE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN: First of all you have to write about your background information. This could be done by doing the self assessment, because by doing the self assessment you will be able to know your strengths and weakness. (Career Development Plan) The First Step: Self Assessment I think that the self assessment is the best thing that everyone has to do before starting to look for a new job or even to move from the current job to another. The most common question that you have to ask yourself about before searching for a job for the first time or moving into a new job is: I dont know what I want to do? The only and the right way to answer your question is to do self assessment this is the tool which can guide you toward the kind of job that is suited you. Self assessment is the way or the process which can you use to gather information about yourself to make the career decision easy for you. (Dawn Rosenberg McKay) The Self Assessment should include the following: Values Interests Personality Skills Values: The values are the things that are very important to you such as the achievements. Values are the most important thing to think about very carefully when you are planning to work for the first time or thinking of moving to a new job, because if you didnt care about your values you will lead yourself to a not good results such as you may doing like your job therefore you will not be able to achieve what you are looking for. (Dawn Rosenberg McKay) Interests: The interests mean the things that you like to do and the things that you dont like to do. Asking yourself this question will help you to see or to know what kinds of works or tasks that you like to do and enjoy working or doing them. (Dawn Rosenberg McKay) Personality: The personality is when you ask yourself about what type of person are you? Do you like thinking, feeling, jugging and perceptive? Do you like to work alone or with a team? These kinds of questions will help you to be successful in your job because you will know what kinds of jobs or tasks that suited your personality. For example if you have an introvert personality you are going to face a lot of problems if you work in a job that requires presentations or public speaking. (Dawn Rosenberg McKay) Skills: You have to look at what are you good at and what are the skills that you have to improve. This is a very important question that you have to ask yourself about in order to find a job that meets all your skills otherwise you will have face obstacles. For example if you get a job that requires using the computer as a major tool and you are not good enough to use it. (Dawn Rosenberg McKay) The most important goals of the Self Assessment are: To enhance the self awareness and confidence of your decisions To know what is your strengths and weakness (The Steps for Self Assessment) Step two: Set your development goals: there are three main reasons of why its important to write or setting you development goals. These reasons are: Setting your development goals cold help to get organized, make big decisions and realize your dreams. Setting your development goals gives you long term vision and short term motivation. This step will help you to understand the direction of your career. When you start writing your development goals you have to start with identifying your development needs. To do this you have to look at the feedback information that you have from your resources such as your manager, team leader and supervisor. Also you have to be aware of the organizations goals and directions and you have to consider the objectives of the team or group that you work with. Writing your development goals will help you to consider your short team goals (1 to 3 year) and your future or long term (3+ years). The short term goals could be much related to your current job or to a position that you are planning to get or reach. Write SMART Goals S: your goals have to be Specific so you know exactly what are you striving and looking for. M: your goals should be Measurable so you can exactly know when the goals have been reached. A: Action oriented to indicate an activity that create and produce results. R: your goals have to be Realistic and can be achieved. T: you have to consider the Time because you have to define the timeline and the availability of the resources. (Career Development Plan) Step Three: Write Your Action Steps: once you are done with writing your development goals you need some directions to follow in order to get, reach and achieve these goals. The creating of the action steps will give you a list of the most important things that you have to do and this list will help you track your progress toward your goals. The Action Step should have three main parts: ACTION: a verb that describe what action you will be taken CONTEXT: when and where will it take place? RESULTS: what will be the result of this action? (Career Development Plan) Step Four: List your Obstacles and Solutions: This step is important to make sure that your career development goals are not sidetracked. It is good to know and consider what are the problems and the obstacles which may stand as barriers in reaching your goals. Also this step will help you to identify and find possible ways to overcome these obstacles and problems. The common problems and obstacles that you may face: Limited time Lack of financial support Lack of feedback, encouragement and motivation Manager is unsupportive of development Some of the potential solutions for such obstacles are: If you cant take more training courses because of your workload, the potential solution for this would be cross training with another team member. If the budget of the trainings is limited, the potential solution for this would be choosing low cost trainings, online learning or reading a book. If your manager does not provide you with feedback, the potential solution would be looking for feedback from other sources such as mentors. (Career Development Plan) Step Five: Identify your Resources: You have to identify what resources are available to successfully achieving your career development goals. You should think about what kinds or types of resources you may need and where they come from. Resources could be anything that supports your development such as: Getting the approval on the trainings and development programs Encouragement and motivation from your manager coach or mentor Support from you manager to work on new projects and tasks Get the time to work on your development Get feedback and advice from people who are skilled on the area you are seeking to develop (Career Development Plan) Step Six: Evaluate your Progress: When you are successful in achieving and meeting your career development goals, you will be able to evaluate your progress. By setting S.M.A.R.T goals will make sure that their achievement can be evaluated. If you thing that its hard to evaluate the goals, it is probably is not meeting one of the S.M.A.R.T guidelines. You have to keep in mind that the career development plan is not a onetime activity, but you have to revises and change your career development plan annually, because your roles and responsibilities are changing you are getting more experiences every year. (Career Development Plan) THE MAIN GOALS OF THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN From my respective understanding I can say that the main goals of the career development plan of the individuals are to know where their strengths and weakness are. Also to know where they want to be or what kind of jobs they want to work on in the future. The career development plan will help them to know what are the most useful trainings and courses they should take in order to improve their self in their career. Also they will know what are the most important skills that they should gain for their current job or for the future job? But they have to be aware of the organization goals and objectives so they can align their skills and abilities with the organization objectives and interests. In this case they will be able to impr

A & P - John Updike :: essays research papers

Sammy vs. the Grocery Store In the story, â€Å"A & P†, John Updike differentiates the views of Sammy and the store with many eye-catching techniques. By presenting the store as the antagonist, the reader gains Sammy sense of view about things through his close detail and humor of situations. Well before the dramatic opportunity presents itself for Sammy to quit his job, his narrative voice has established his individualism, imagination and his subversive sense of humor that already set him at odds with his jobs dull routine. The three girls entering the store in bathing suits and â€Å"walking against the usual traffic† coming down the aisle symbolize Sammy’s individualism. Because of the girl’s different appearance from the usual shoppers in A & P, Sammy couldn’t help but stare. This type of dress was not part of the â€Å"A & P policy† especially since â€Å"the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street†. An example of Sammy’s imagination is exemplified through his description of the other shoppers in A & P. Sammy refers to the shoppers as â€Å"sheep† twice in the story. Once as he views the customers continuing to push their carts down the aisle only glancing slightly at the girls and continuing to shop. Sammy â€Å"bets you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The second time is when the girls go to the check out lane and Lengel starts to explain the policy. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts but, you know sheep, seeing a scene, they had all bunched up on Stokesie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sammy’s narration of the lady at the front counter presents an example of his defiant sense of humor. The phrases â€Å"a witch about fifty† and â€Å"if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem† demonstrates the intolerance Sammy has developed toward the â€Å"A & P policy†. The song Sammy hears by the register as he rings up a purchase represents his oddity from his jobs dull routine. A & P - John Updike :: essays research papers Sammy vs. the Grocery Store In the story, â€Å"A & P†, John Updike differentiates the views of Sammy and the store with many eye-catching techniques. By presenting the store as the antagonist, the reader gains Sammy sense of view about things through his close detail and humor of situations. Well before the dramatic opportunity presents itself for Sammy to quit his job, his narrative voice has established his individualism, imagination and his subversive sense of humor that already set him at odds with his jobs dull routine. The three girls entering the store in bathing suits and â€Å"walking against the usual traffic† coming down the aisle symbolize Sammy’s individualism. Because of the girl’s different appearance from the usual shoppers in A & P, Sammy couldn’t help but stare. This type of dress was not part of the â€Å"A & P policy† especially since â€Å"the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street†. An example of Sammy’s imagination is exemplified through his description of the other shoppers in A & P. Sammy refers to the shoppers as â€Å"sheep† twice in the story. Once as he views the customers continuing to push their carts down the aisle only glancing slightly at the girls and continuing to shop. Sammy â€Å"bets you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The second time is when the girls go to the check out lane and Lengel starts to explain the policy. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts but, you know sheep, seeing a scene, they had all bunched up on Stokesie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sammy’s narration of the lady at the front counter presents an example of his defiant sense of humor. The phrases â€Å"a witch about fifty† and â€Å"if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem† demonstrates the intolerance Sammy has developed toward the â€Å"A & P policy†. The song Sammy hears by the register as he rings up a purchase represents his oddity from his jobs dull routine.

Monroe Doctrine Editorial :: essays research papers

Monroe Doctrine: For Good or for Bad? The interests of our own Latin America is clearly different from those of that of the United States – but ever since the Monroe Doctrine has been declared, it seemed as if relations between the US and the nations of Latin America stabilized on a friendly note. But we need not feel easy and let our guard down at all, for this issue has had major questionings in the past years already. Is the United States really attempting to protect our nations from any threat of reconquest from outer nations? Or is the US only using the Monroe Doctrine to dominate the Western Hemisphere? I strongly agree with our nations’ government views about this issue: that the United States is only using this as a step forward in monopolizing power around the Western Hemisphere. It might be true that they are defending our nations from European conquest and such, but we are also independent and should be allowed to govern ourselves without any higher power that makes every decision for us, even if sometimes it’s not even in the general interest of the masses within nations of Latin America. But then again, the US might be actually intending to just defend us, since as we are part of its land and territory. Our region is that of a concentrated power with one major rule, just as a Spanish official made this prediction about the United States in 1783: â€Å"We have just recognized a new power in a great region where there exists no other to challenge its growth. †¦ The day will come when it grows and becomes a giant and even a colossus in those regions. Within a few years we will regard the existence of this colossus with real sorrow.† And now, as it clearly is seen, the United States is the existing â€Å"Colossus of the North†, even though it wasn’t able to carry out the Monroe Doctrine by itself in the beginning, and with the help of the British navy, it was duly carried on.

Criteria for Performance Evaluation Essay -- Human Resource Management

Introduction Human resource policies and procedures are the most important aspects of developing acceptable organizational behavior in an organization. This is because mutual well-being, confidence, trust, and intelligence of all members of the organization determines the success of the organization hence the need to pay critical attention to it. The mid-sized manufacturing plant’s engineer hired for the modification of the plant had positive job performance credentials but poor interpersonal relations and tidiness at work place. This situation put the plant manager in a difficult position when it came to developing a well outline assessment of the engineer. Criteria for Performance Evaluation The three sets of performance evaluation mechanisms that brought concerns for the manager and the employee in the current evaluation structure included poor relationships with co-workers, personal characteristics, and behavior. These points of concern were particularly causing friction between the manager since the employee maintained that his performance was above reproach and produced results. However, despite the engineer’s concerns, the three most commonly used assessment criteria are behavior, performance standards, and skills and competency (Mayhew, 2010). Skills and competency refer to the solid technical knowledge an employee applies in accomplishing tasks. The ability to perform tasks for which one was hired and to meet organizational objectives set for him is fundamental in performance evaluation. Performance standards refer to what an employee must do to meet the manager’s expectations and normally include how proactive an employee is in handling his wo rk (Mayhew, 2010). The behavior of an employee is crucial bec... ...the use of external mechanisms on specific roles played by different employees. External evaluators minimize the impact of biases; promote strict professionalism and promotion of assessment by members of a similar profession, as well as the promotion of employee confidence in the organizations intentions. Works Cited Anonymous. (2009). Performance Appraisal Biases. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Management Study Guide: http://managementstudyguide.com/performance-appraisal-bias.htm Kelchner, L., & Media, D. (2011). Three Common Performance Evaluation Methods. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-common-performance-evaluation-methods-23608.html Mayhew, R. (2010). Job Performance Evaluation Criteria. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from e-How Money: http://www.ehow.com/info_8083608_job-performance-evaluation-criteria.html Criteria for Performance Evaluation Essay -- Human Resource Management Introduction Human resource policies and procedures are the most important aspects of developing acceptable organizational behavior in an organization. This is because mutual well-being, confidence, trust, and intelligence of all members of the organization determines the success of the organization hence the need to pay critical attention to it. The mid-sized manufacturing plant’s engineer hired for the modification of the plant had positive job performance credentials but poor interpersonal relations and tidiness at work place. This situation put the plant manager in a difficult position when it came to developing a well outline assessment of the engineer. Criteria for Performance Evaluation The three sets of performance evaluation mechanisms that brought concerns for the manager and the employee in the current evaluation structure included poor relationships with co-workers, personal characteristics, and behavior. These points of concern were particularly causing friction between the manager since the employee maintained that his performance was above reproach and produced results. However, despite the engineer’s concerns, the three most commonly used assessment criteria are behavior, performance standards, and skills and competency (Mayhew, 2010). Skills and competency refer to the solid technical knowledge an employee applies in accomplishing tasks. The ability to perform tasks for which one was hired and to meet organizational objectives set for him is fundamental in performance evaluation. Performance standards refer to what an employee must do to meet the manager’s expectations and normally include how proactive an employee is in handling his wo rk (Mayhew, 2010). The behavior of an employee is crucial bec... ...the use of external mechanisms on specific roles played by different employees. External evaluators minimize the impact of biases; promote strict professionalism and promotion of assessment by members of a similar profession, as well as the promotion of employee confidence in the organizations intentions. Works Cited Anonymous. (2009). Performance Appraisal Biases. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Management Study Guide: http://managementstudyguide.com/performance-appraisal-bias.htm Kelchner, L., & Media, D. (2011). Three Common Performance Evaluation Methods. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-common-performance-evaluation-methods-23608.html Mayhew, R. (2010). Job Performance Evaluation Criteria. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from e-How Money: http://www.ehow.com/info_8083608_job-performance-evaluation-criteria.html